Gate



Feb. 4, 1930 R. L. BURCH 1,746,189

GATE

Filed Dec. 27, 1928 .2 Sheets-Sheet l R. L. BURCH Feb 4, 1930.

GATE

2 Shets-Sheet 2 Patented F cl); 4, 1 930 GATE f A further object is to v by the extent to which the gate may be raised generally ri i w n Application med December 27,- 1928; Serial n. 328,806.

This invention relates to gatesand particu-- larly'to the means whereby the gates may be opened and closed by a person approaching 7 the gate either Walking or in a vehicleand whereby the gate may be closed after th person or vehicle has passed the gate. r

The general object ofthe invention is to provide a very simple, easily operated mechanism for this purpose so constructed that upon strain being applied ,to a

from the gate, thegate will be tilted slightly upward-at its forward end to thereby un balance the gateand cause it to swing auto matic'ally from a closed to an open position and when-strain upon the cablehas been relaxed, permit it to return'to its balanced position, the mechanism being such that after the party has passed the gate, a pull upon the cable will again ra'isethefree end of the gate to thereby unbalance it and cause it to swing under a slight impulse to a closed position,

a latch operating to latch the gate in'itsc closed position as soon as it is in alinement with the gate post. i ,7 I f v o provide means where- I at its front end may be regulated;

"Other objects will appear inthe courseof p V and formed with the cable engaging eye .23.

the following description. 1

v .30 My invention is um trated n the accom-i pia nying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is aperspective view of ai gate.

' operating mechanism constructed ance with my invention; v s Figure 2is a top plan view of the operating mechanism; 1 V Figure 3 is, a side elevation thereof partly in section; r a Figure 4; is a like view to Figure 2showing in accord V the position of the parts when the gate oper ating mechanism is swung vby one of the cables;

Figure 5 is a the'arm'18 and'theblltt thereof; V

Figure 6 is a fragmentaryverticallsection through the latching post, the keeper and the gate with thelatch; p V I drawings10"designates "Referring t: these the gate post upon which I Op osed to'the gate cable at a distance fragmentary top plaii viewof the gate designated post 10 is a gate post 12 having thereon the latch keeper 13 which is of ordinary form and vertically cleft at its middle to receive a latch bolt 14 mounted upon the gate. This latch bolt is urged to a'projectedpo'si'tion by a spring 15 and is prevented from being'projected too far by means of a stop 16. 1

The gate at its rear lower corneris hinged" by-means of the usual hinge pintle '17- engag ng an eye or eye bolt 17 a projecting from the g post/10. So far'I have described what is practically an ordinary gate exceptas regards the particular form of latch-bolt.

For the, purpose of permitting the release is rigidly mounted upon the top of the post but projects inward beyond the post and is provided with the annular h'ub21. Disposed above the member 18 and normally in aline ment. therewith is'fla gate operating arm 22 preferably T-shap'ed in cross section for" a portion of its length as is the arm 18,:this arm 22; at its outer end being'downwardly beveled The butt end of the arm 22 is laterally-eX tended to form the ears 24.which are apertured and forward of these ears and projecting downward from the under face of the I arm 22 is a-pin 25 which engages in the opening in the hub 21. 1 Projecting upward from" but rearward of the pin 25 isIa pin 26. Mounted upon the upper face of the gateat apertured at' 28 for the passageof screws, bolts or other attachingdevices whereby it may be held upon the upper edge ofthe gate,

I the upper face of the butt end of the arm 22'.

the butt end thereof is a strap 27 which'is The rear end of the member 27 projects beyond-the gate and this rearend is provided with the longitudinally extending slot 29 which is defined upon the upperface of the member 27 by the upwardly extending guides 30. The'in'nerend of the slot on the under;

face of the strap is defined by a transversely extending stop 31. Slidingly mountedJb tween the guides is a slide 32 held in place by the bolt This slide 32 constitutes an adjustable stop as will be later seen.

Projecting laterally from the strap 27 are lugs 34 disposed in a horizontal plane and apertured each for the passage of a link 35. The outer end of each link is screw-threaded andreceives a nut 36, while the inner end of each link is angularly bent at 37, these angular unbalanced ends engaging in the arm 22.

Mounted upon posts 38 and 39 are pulleys 40 and passing over these pulleys is a cable 41, the middle of this cable being attached to the eye 23 on the outer end of the arm 22 and the cable being adapted to pass over the pulley 19 and prevented from operative disengagement from this pulley by the guard 20. The outer ends of the cable are provided with handles 42 whereby the cable may be pulled in either direction. 7

The operation of this device is as follows Assuming that the gate is closed and the latch bolt 16 is engaged with the keeper 13, then as a person approaches the gate, as for instance in a vehicle, and desires to open the gate without dismounting, the person pulls upon one of the handles 42. This retracts the cable. The first result of this pull is to turn the arm 22 upon the axis of the pin 25 so that the pin 26 actsas a crank moving away from the gate. When this crank has been turnedsufficiently, one of the lugs 24 will exert a pulling action upon one of the links the perforated cars 24 of 35, the other link sliding through theopening in the corresponding lug 24 and this will act to tilt the gate upward, this rearward motion of the top of the gate being permitted by the slot 29. Vvhen the gate has been pulled open a sufficient extent, it will be overbalanced and will naturally tend to swing open, the direction of the swing being controlled by a slight pull on the arm 27.

In other words, 7 the first pull upon the cable acts to release the gate from thekeeper 13 not by retracting the latch but by lifting the forward end of the gate and thelatch out of engagement with the keeper 13. A slight further pull upon the cable will cause the gate to swing to an open position. As soon as the cable is released and by the time the gate has arrived at the open position, it will once more behorizontal and will, therefore, stay in the position to which it has been opened. After the traveller has passed through, the handle on the other side is pulled. This will again act to lift the forward end of the gate so as to render it unbalanced and at the same time the stop 36 contacts with the lug 34 and the gate is given an impulse which with the unbalancing of the gate will swing it to a closed position. Just before the gate has reached its closed position, it is returned to horizontal position and the latch bolt 14 is forced rearward against the action of the spring 16 and then the bolt is projected 'into the keeper as soon as it reaches the cleft thereof.

It will be seen, therefore, that I have provided a very simple and effective means whereby the gate may be opened and closed, which means depends for its action upon the fact that the arm 22 constitutes practically a crank arm which, as the arm is swung acts to lift up on the forward end of the gate and which then, when the'nut 36 engages the ear 34, acts to swing the gate. When strain upon the cable is released, the gate will still continue to swing due to its momentum but will sink back to its horizontal position.

By adjusting the slide'32, the amount that the forward end ofthe gate may be raised is controlled. By adjusting the nuts 36, the amount of movement necessary before the gate is raised is controlled. With this device, the gate is rendered unbalanced and swings to its open position upon a slight pull of the controlling cable and is again rendered unbalanced and at the same time is given a slight impulse to move to its closed position when the cable is pulled in the opposite direction.

lVhile I have illustrated certain details of construction and arrangement of .parts, I do not wish to be limited thereto as it is obvious that many changes might be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as definedin the appended claims.

It will be obvious that the same kind of a latch 14 may be used in connection with the posts 38'and 39 as is used on the posts 12 to thus hold the gate open. I

I claim :a

' 1. In a gate structure, a gate post, a gate post, the arm rearward of said pivotal point having an upwardly projecting pin extending into said slot, saidarm at its rear end being provided with laterally projecting ears, the strap having eyes, links slidingly engaging said eyes and engaging in said ears, the links having stops on their ends disposed to engage the eyes, a normally projected spring latch mounted upon the free end of the gate anda keeper with whichthe latch engages and from which the latch is freed upon the lifting of the forward end of the gate, and a cable attached to the extremity of said arm and extending in opposite directions therefrom and whereby the arm may be swung in one direction or the other. I

2. In a gate structure, a gate post, a gate hingedly mounted adjacent its lower corner upon said gate post, an arm rigidly mounted upon the upper endrof the gate post, the outer end of the arm being provided l r through which said pm on the second named with a pulley and a downwardly bowed uard, a second arm pivotally mounted.

unon' the butt end of the first named arm for swinging movement and rearward of said pivotal axis having an upwardly extendingpin, the second arm at its rear end being provided with laterally projecting ears,astrap mountedupon the upper edge face of the gate and extending beyond the same and having a longitudinally. extending slot said strap having laterally 'pro-' arm passes,

links engaging the ears on the j ecting eyes,

second arm and having limited sliding en agement through the eyes on said strap, and a cable attached to the rear end of the gate operating arm and extending in opposite dir'ections and adapted-toengage said pulley,

upon said gate upon the upper the strain upon the cable in one direction or the other actingtoshift the gateoperating arm to thereby lift the forward end of the gate to release it from the latch to permit it to swing. v j I 3. In a gate structure, a gate post, a gate hingedly mounted adjacent its'lower corner post, an armvrigidly mounted end of the gate post, the outer end of the arm being provided with a pulley i and a downwardly bowed guard, a second arm 7 pivotally mounted upon the butt end of the first named arm for swinging movement and "rearward of said pivotal axis having an-up- ,wardly rear end being providedwith laterally proecting ears, a strap mounted upon the upper edge'face of-the gate and extending beyond extendingpin, the second, arm at its the same and having a longitudinally extend- I ing slot through which said pin on the second named'arm passes, said strap having laterally projecting ears, links engaging the ears on the second arm and having adjustable stops engageable'with the perforated eyes on the strap and having limited slidingengagement through the eyes on said strap, and a cable at tached to the rear end of the gate operating arm and extending in opposite directions and adapted to engage said pulley, the strain upon the cable in one direction or the other acting to shift the gate operating arm to thereby lift the forward end of the gate to release it from the latch to permit it to swing.

' 4. In a gate structure, a gate post, a gate hingedly mounted adjacent its lower corner upon said gate post, an arm rigidly mounted upon the upper end of the gate post, the outer end of the arm being provided with a pulley and a downwardly bowed guard, a second arm pivotally first named arm for swinging movement and release it mounted upon the butt end of the 7 ing slot through which said pin on the second named arm passes, said strap having lateraL ly projecting eyes, links engaging thevears on the second arm and having adjustable stops engageable with the perforated eyes-on the strap and having limited sliding engagement through the eyes on said strap, and a cable attached to the rear end of the gate oper atin arm andext'endin in o osite direc- I tions and adapted to engage said pulley, the strain upon the cable in one direction or the other acting to shift the gate operating arm to thereby lift the forward end of the gate to from the latch to permit it to r In a gate structure, a post supporting the v V an arm'mountedfor coaction withv the gate and upon the gate post, a cable engaging 'said arm and extending in opposite d1-" 7 rection's therefrom and provided with meansv to either, end

whereby strain may be applied 7 the arm havcf the cable to rotate said arm,

ing a pivot pin disposed forward of the axis o of the arm and having sliding engagement with the gate, the arm acting when'rotated by the cable to lift the forward end of the gate to thereby unbalance the gate andpermit it to swing to an open position or-to swing from an open position to a closed position. 6. In a gate structure, a post, a gate hinged to the postadjacent its lower corner, an arm pivotally mounted upon the post and having. laterally projecting ears, eye members carried by and projecting laterally from the gateadjacent its upper rear corner, and links connected tosaid ears and havlng limited slidlng movement through said eye's, and a cable op 1 eratively engaged with said arm whereby the gate may be swung to an open or closed position. 7 7 a In testimony whereof I hereunto affix m signature. 7

V ROY L. BURCH.

rearward of said pivotal axis having an upwardly extending pin,

a strap mounted upon the upper jecting ears,

the gate and extending beyond edge face of the same and having a longitudinally extendthe second arm at its rear end being provided with laterally pro 

